Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka Pledges 40,000 Sapling Plantation on World Environment Day

Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka, as part of its bio-investment agenda this year has chalked out a target to plant over 40,000 saplings to mark the celebration of World Environment Day. These plantations will be carried out inside the mining vicinity and as well as peripheral community areas. Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka has been consistently working towards creating a sustainable ecosystem and also, organising continuous activities for creating awareness among the employees, stakeholders, and community on the importance of a cleaner and greener environment. So far, under this project around 50,000 sapling plantation was carried out last year at demarcated areas such as rehabilitation of mine dumps and safety zones & at forest areas, mining sites, schools & roadsides in Chitradurga District. To mark the occasion, there will be a week-long observation and as a part of one of the initiative, 'Each one- Plant one' each employee will be provided with a sapling to plant at their respective residences.

On the occasion, Mr. Krishna Reddy, Director - Iron Ore Karnataka said, 'As a responsible corporate organization we operate on a sustainable and safe framework that protects our direct and indirect employees, peripheral communities & our surrounding environment. Our efforts over the years have subsequently ensured the revival of a healthy environment through our continuous development initiatives. We are sincerely committed to intensifying our efforts to create a more sustainable future for our future generations.'

Under the prevailing circumstances of the widespread pandemic, Vedanta is committed to ensure the safety of it's direct and indirect employees and stakeholders, by taking all the required mandatory precautions such as  social distancing to carry out the plantations in structured phases.  On the occasion, the employees of Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka took the customary pledge with an intention to provide impetus to their efforts directed at a cleaner and greener environment. The week-long activities will be conducted keeping in tune with this year's theme “Time for nature.”

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Announces Upcoming Price Hike for Camry Hybrid & Vellfire Models

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has announced its decision to implement a price increase for Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle and The Vellfire with effect from July 2020. The impending hike have been necessitated due to the substantial rise in exchange rate.

Touted as one of Toyota’s flagship models amongst self-charging electric vehicles, the new generation Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle redefines luxury sedan experience with its dynamic performance, styling & comfortable interiors.  The Vellfire, latest launch by TKM in India, also stands out for its ultra-luxurious, powerful and eco-advanced performance backed by low fuel consumption and carbon footprints.

Since their launch, both the models have received overwhelming response and have seen a steady demand in the Indian market.

Ather Energy Completes Two Successful Years of Operations in India

2 Years of Operations

* Expanding to 8 new cities with new financing and ownership models.

* Introducing exchange offers & upgrades on ICE vehicles to boost the adoption of EVs

Ather Energy today completes two years since the launch of the Ather 450 in Bengaluru. Since 2018, the company has grown in leaps and bounds adding the Ather 450 Plus & Ather 450X to its product portfolio and will be expanding to 8 more cities in 2020.

Ather was the first automobile company in India that has been offering OTA upgrades to its consumers: adding new ride modes, new features and constantly improving the ride and ownership experience. With 6 Over The Air (OTA) software upgrades, the Ather 450s on the road have only been improving since their delivery, unlike traditional vehicles that don’t have the ability to upgrade their in-field vehicles.

The company has added a slew of financial models to make adoption of EVs easy. Their first-in-category lease plans made owning a two wheeler easier, with no long term commitment. And with the Ather 450X launched in January 2020, the company has rolled out an innovative battery subscription model. In this plan, the consumer pays for the scooter, without the cost of the battery. The battery is paid for under a monthly subscription model that only makes the upfront scooter sticker price lower, but also provides a lifelong battery warranty – as long as the customer is on the subscription plan. The company is now planning to come up with a vehicle exchange program to attract scooter owners to upgrade to a better electric vehicle. There are other ownership models that the company is piloting, which will be rolled out over the next few months.

The next 6 months will see Ather in multiple cities with its new products : Ather 450X & Ather 450 Plus. The company is gearing up to open experience centres through dealerships in Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Coimbatore, etc. The new 400,000 sq ft manufacturing facility in Hosur will also open later in the year.

Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO Ather Energy said “The lockdown helped us reevaluate and reassess our long term goals. We are going to open as many avenues as possible to promote electric vehicles. From introducing new ownership models and to continue offering the most varied financing options, we will ensure that owning an E2W is a hassle-free proposition for any consumer. Exciting times ahead for Ather and the EV industry”

Some facts on Ather 450 owners & the community :

* 11 million kilometers traveled across the Ather 450 fleet.

* 6 OTA updates on the Ather 450

* Most distance traveled by a single Ather 450: 26,600 km

* More than 7000 evangelists and owners on the Ather Forum

TECNO Celebrates ‘1 Million Spark Customers’; Ups Community Platform Play with TECNO Spot

With its popular SPARK smartphone series, TECNO hits the 1 million Spark customer count in 7 months in India. The watershed moment reinforces TECNO’s success story in India on the back of a ‘segment-first’ approach which has consistently pushed the benchmark for entry-level and mid-budget smartphones on camera, design and the overall feature-led experience.

With Spark series including SPARK Go Plus and recently launched SPARK 5, TECNO has set a benchmark of bringing the most affordable dot notch display, biggest screen, futuristic premium design, AI-supported Quad camera, massive battery in the budget segment which was unprecedented and went a long way in creating real value for the customers of the segments.

The achievement has also lent a supporting hand in boosting TECNO’s immediate efforts to offer a common, interactive online platform for its consumers with ‘TECNO Spot’. This innovative platform has provided consumers with compelling means to connect and interact with their favorite smartphone brand, while indulging in games and contests. The endeavor also marks the company’s intent to ramp up its online play and build a strong community of TECNO Smartphone users in India.

Commenting On the development, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of TRANSSION India said, “Since its incubation, TECNO demonstrated its unfaltering commitment to the India market. With our offerings and initiatives, we have tried to create real value for our customers and the people of Greater Bharat. And the achievement of 1 million Spark customers clearly shows that our customers have acknowledged the value we have created for them and appreciate our efforts. With our consumers being the glue that holds the brand together, it is imperative for us to continue putting our best foot forward in order to serve them better. TECNO Spot is one such initiative that we believe will enable us to connect with our customers in a better way.”

TECNO Spot is a community platform for TECNO users and can be accessed either by registering at https://spot.tecno.com/in/index.php or by downloading the TECNO Spot App from the Google Play Store.  Within one month of its launch, TECNO Spot India is now a 6000+ strong user community that enables users with latest news, launches, reviews, tips and tricks on photography and engaging activities. Consumers can get to know more about the functioning of a product, or seek clarity on any issues faced by them in regard to their TECNO smartphones and also share suggestions and feedback about the products.  And the fun part is that the consumers can also participate in contests, polls and stand a chance to win exciting prizes, while interacting and supporting each other, just like a community.

As per the Counterpoint Report for Q1’20, post the launch of the Spark Series, TECNO has strengthened its position as one of the Top 5 offline smartphone brands in the 5-7k segment. Stepping into 2020 H2, TECNO in line with its ‘India First’ approach will further consolidate its position to build a strong portfolio across 5-10K smartphones category by introducing many other segment-first features such as best in-class battery, design, display and camera experience that is customized to enhance the life of the Indian consumers.

Huami Launches Amazfit BIP S Smartwatch at INR 4,999 in India

Smartwatch 

* Powered with 40days battery, GPS and compass, 5 ATM water resistant

* Launched on Online platforms Amazon, Flipkart & Myntra

* Also available in the offline market across India via leading stores like Croma, Reliance Digital & Poorvika Mobiles

* Debuted on Amazfit’s India website - https://in.amazfit.com

Huami Corporation, a biometric and activity data-driven company with significant expertise in smart wearable technology and the number 1 smartwatch brand in the watch segment, has officially launched Amazfit Bip S smartwatch in India. Starting 3rd June onwards, customers can purchase Amazfit Bip S online on Amazon, Flipkart & Myntra and offline via Croma, Reliance Digital & Poorvika Mobiles at INR 4,999/- across the country. The brand is all set with heavy retail offline and online presence for their latest launch, customers can also purchase Bip S by Amazfit’s official website in India, https://in.amazfit.com/. Huami has partnered with PR Innovations, a leading technology importer, to market and distribute Amazfit Bip S in India.

Amazfit Bip S is the latest addition to the Bip model that has gained wide acceptance in the market earlier. Bip S integrates Huami-PAI, a revolutionary indicator of personal activity that gives you details about your heart health and overall fitness, helping you reach or maintain your personal best. Bip S is equipped with power-packed battery life and sleep tracking with ultra-lightweight and thin body design. Featuring a colourful transflective display, and 5 ATM water resistance, great battery life of up to 40 days*, Bluetooth music control and built-in GPS, the latest Amazfit Bip S provides an exceptional experience at a promising price bracket.

Commenting on the launch, Mark Mao, Vice President of Overseas Business, Huami, said, “Following the huge success and popularity of Amazfit Bip and Amazfit Bip Lite we have now introduced Amazfit Bip S, which debuted at CES 2020. We are elated to launch our latest product Amazfit Bip S in the Indian market. The Bip S is designed for millennials and fitness enthusiasts to track their daily activities & performance while doing sport and adding colors to their lifestyle. The Indian market has always accepted us with great trust and response, and we are looking forward to receiving the same once again.” 

The Amazfit Bip S is equipped with daily tracking activities along with 10 sports modes: Treadmill, Outdoor running, Walking, Indoor cycling, Outdoor cycling, Open water, Pool, Yoga, Elliptical trainer, Freestyle. Huami self-developed optical sensor, provides high-precision continuous heart rate tracking, heart rate warning and heart rate interval values. The highly colorful display is always on and easily readable outdoors even under bright sunlight. It has true bright colors with 64 Gamut. Built-in GPS and GLONASS dual mode positioning allow you to accurately track your route and distance.

Availability: https://in.amazfit.com/

With up to 40 days endurance on a basic usage scenario and 15 days on a typical usage scenario, the Bip S battery will keep up with one’s busy & active lifestyle.

*Test conditions:

30 days: Run once a week for 30 minutes, receive 100 notifications per day, default brightness 60%

Note: Tests conducted in-lab, results may vary according to usage

OYO Initiates Feed for Good- Food Drive for the Needy Across Six Cities Across Indian

CSR Activity

* ‘Feed for Good’ - food drive to provide 1000 meals per day to the needy, including migrants and the underprivileged will run for 5 days across Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata & Hyderabad

* OYO has partnered with Jagorani, Live to Give & The United Foundation to execute the food drive

Given the current COVID19 situation, shortage of essentials and commute restrictions, there is a dire need to reach out to those stranded and left without basic necessities. The pandemic has impacted many including migrant & daily wage workers without any means to earn a livelihood and provide for their family.  Standing together with the government and local administration efforts during these tough times, OYO, one of the world’s leading hotel chains is organising a food drive initiative, ‘Feed For Good’ across six cities in India to distribute over 1000 meals per day for a duration of 5 days.  Starting June 1, the drive is being held in Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata & Hyderabad.

OYO has partnered with Jagorani, Live to Give & The United Foundation who will help ensure that hygienically-prepared & packaged, nutritious meals reach the ones in need.

* Jagorani Foundation in association with OYO is conducting the drive in the Sundarbans at the Super-cyclone Amphan Relief Camp.

* The United Foundation is distributing meals to daily wage workers and Shramik passengers transiting from Bengaluru via Shramik special trains that began operations from May 1 for transportation of stranded migrant labourers.

* Live to Give will be serving disadvantaged, domestic and daily wage working women, widows and their families.

Speaking about the ‘Feed for Good’ initiative, Ankit Gupta, Chief Operating Officer & SVP – Frontier Businesses, OYO India and South Asia said, “These are trying times for all of us around the world. But it is also a time for us to step forward and help those in need. As the coronavirus continues to impact livelihoods, several sections of society have been left without basic necessities. We hope that the food drive helps and supports those in need. At OYO we strive to stand together with the community and do our bit as a responsible corporate citizen. We stand by our motto that we are #InThisTogether. ”

Commenting on the initiative, Marzy Parakh, Founder, Live to Give said, “We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to OYO for supporting our cause and to the Women’s Development Corporation Of Maharashtra which serves 1.6 million disadvantaged families in Maharashtra. Through them, we were able to identify and serve a verified list of thousands of disadvantaged, domestic and daily wage working women, widows and their families.”

Earlier OYO also initiated  ‘Donate A Night’, a crowdfunding campaign across its platforms where one can voluntarily contribute to donate one night’s accommodation for migrants, daily wagers, medical first responders, policemen and other emergency services personnel.

Emirates Offers Flights for Passengers to 29 Cities and Resumes Transits through its Dubai Hub

Following the UAE Federal Government’s announcement to lift restrictions on transit passengers services, from 15th June Emirates will offer passenger services to 16 more cities on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. With travel restrictions remaining in place in most countries, customers are reminded to check entry and exit requirements before their journeys.

Flights to the following cities will be available for booking on emirates.com or via travel agents: Bahrain, Manchester, Zurich, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Dublin, New York JFK, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Taipei, Hong Kong, Perth and Brisbane.

In addition, from 8th June Emirates will offer flights from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad for travellers from Pakistan who wish to connect onwards to other Emirates destinations.

With this latest announcement, Emirates will be offering flights for passengers on the back of its scheduled cargo operations from Dubai to 29 cities, including existing flights to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne and Manila (from 11th June).

Customers can book to fly between destinations in the Asia Pacific and Europe or the Americas, with a convenient connection in Dubai, as long as they meet travel and immigration entry requirements of their destination country.

Working closely with the UAE authorities, Emirates continues to take a measured and phased approach to flight resumption and rebuilding connections between Dubai and the world.

Health and safety first: Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers.

Travel restrictions: Customers are reminded that travel restrictions remain in place, and travellers will only be accepted on flights if they comply with the eligibility and entry criteria requirements of their destination countries. Residents returning to the UAE can check the latest requirements at: https://www.emirates.com/ae/english/help/flying-you-home/